Lori Tharps Natural Hair Care/Substitute Me Twitter PJ Party blacklitchat

We are pleased to announce that this Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 9pm EST Substitute Me author, Lori L. Tharps will be our guest for #blacklitchat Tweet Chat on Twitter!!!!!!!!!!

So grab your book, grab your PJs, grab your galpals and lets have an online book chat with her.  Also if you have questions about natural hair care, have them ready so she can answer.

Umm…who is Lori. L. Tharps?

Lori L. Tharps is an assistant professor of journalism at Temple University, an author, freelance journalist and mom. She was a staff reporter at Vibe magazine and then a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly. She has written for Ms., Savoy, Suede, Bitch, Odyssey Couleur and Essence magazines.  She’s the author of  two non-fiction books: Hair Story coauthored with Ayana Byrd, Kinky Gizpacho and her debut novel Substitute Me.
I’ve heard about Substitute Me, but don’t know what it’s about?

Substitute Me reads like ” a modern-day horror story… that will haunt you for days.”
Essence Magazine, August 2010

Where is the source of our identities? Our upbringing, occupation, partners? Kate, a driven public-relations exec and mom coming off maternity leave, tells Zora, while interviewing her for a nanny post, that she wants to hire a “substitute me.” Zora, an upper-middle-class African American, wants the job but worries about betraying the dreams of the women who came before her by becoming a domestic. She then finds her passion in cooking, and practices to become a personal chef by feeding the family as part of her duties. Brad, Kate’s egalitarian banker husband, feels uncomfortable making so much money in the pre-meltdown days. Kate misses her son but throws herself wholeheartedly into her work, putting in exceptionally long days. Brad accepts all these household changes, and finds himself spending more time with Zora than Kate. Friends, lovers, co-workers, and family—all armed with opinions and attitudes—play key roles in Tharps’ lively modern domestic drama about why we are who we are. . --Danise Hoover, BookList

"Lori Tharps's warm and engaging novel about the struggles of juggling marriage, motherhood and a meaningful career focuses on a story we're each living, but also exposes the secrets we won't tell. An enjoyable read."
-- Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

Book clubs: Substitute Me will give you so much to talk, laugh and argue about, you might want to schedule two meetings to discuss it. Days after finishing it, I'm still debating who the villain is. Lori Tharps has written a timely, engaging page-turner that every working mom in America should read!"
-- Carleen Brice, author of Children of the Waters
A fresh, fun, view of "the help" from a writer to watch.
-- Benilde Little, author of Good Hair

After you’re read the book, I’ll add your praise here. (wink, nod)

What is BlackLit Chat?

It's a stream of tweets about books by Black[including Pan-African, African-American, Brit, Caribbean, Canadian Black, etc.] authors in real time during a specified time. Our time  for this chat is Sunday, November 21, 2010 from 9 PM EST.

More about #BlackLitChat is here at my co-host Bernadette Davis’ Black Books Blog. 

 How does it Work? 3 Easy Steps

1. 1. Get a Twitter account, or login, or remember your Twitter Password.
2. 2. Join the chat by clicking this link. http://twebevent.com/blacklitchat
3. 3. Now login with your Twitter Password.

Related articles

• A Common Sense Approach to Deciding which Book Events to Attend: a 3 Part Series (deegospelpr.com)
• #BlackLitChat Twitter Book Chat Stats for 32 Candles (deegospelpr.com)
• Five Young Black Writers You Should Be Reading Now (theroot.com)

Christian Authors Booksigning Opp with F & F Retreat & Barnes & Noble Orlando

Hey, folks. Happy Star Wars Day! Happy MomsMonday if you're on Twitter today. I'm passing on this new opp for those who haven't registered for the Faith and Fiction Retreat or who don't know what the Faith and Fiction Retreat is about (email me if you need more info.)

For Christian authors, Tiffany Warren the retreat founder and host is opening up more slots for authors through this week only who would like to attend the Faith and Fiction Retreat. You must register this week, because she has to send Barnes & Noble Orlando(the official bookseller for the F & F Retreat) needs the book list by Friday, so that they can retrieve the titles from their respected publishing houses. If you are not with a publishing house, then you still need to register and submit. The B & N will send you a bookseller's agreement (you know how it goes.) Here are your options:

1. Regular Registration ($119) – All sessions, book signing on Saturday (books provided by Barnes & Noble), promotional items placed in registration bags.
2. Full Weekend *Vendor ($250) – Bring you own books, all sessions, items placed in registration bags.
3. Saturday Vendor ($100) – I only have about ten vendor slots open mainly. This will get them a vending table on Saturday, items in registration bags, and all Saturday sessions.

There will be no sharing of Vendor tables. If anyone needs help with travel (roommates, car mates, etc.) contact us. Visit the link to learn more about the retreat and the name of the other authors participating as well as featured book clubs. Hope to see you there in July.

Offer ends this Friday, May 8, 2009

Dee

Why Fiction Matters: Bookclubs & Ministry

Today author Sherri Lewis joined me on Media Candy's midweek/midday chat. We discussed the power of bookclubs and how authors can leverage their writing career using them. One thing Sherri said that stood out was how book clubs show the author themes and motifs about their book that they didn't see, but ministered to them.

Quick question to Christian faith writers, have a reader ministered to you threw your own writings?

5 Ways to Support your Favorite Author for Free

We're in a money crunch, but we love books, and if you're an avid reader like me you find yourself buying books despite your budget. For instance, in thirty minutes I'm heading to my daughter's school book fair to what? by some books.

But do you know there are some very cheap things you can do to support author...for free? Aw, yeah, baby:

1. Call your local bookstore and pre-order the book. What this does is ensures that your author's book will be sitting in the store for you to buy when your payroll check clears and it also alerts the store that your author is worthy of shelf space. And bonus, you are giving your local bookstore some love. They love to know that all bookbuyers aren't just using Amazon.
   
2. take a pic of you and your favorite book in the bookstore and then email it to your friends with the bookstore, Walmart, whatev location or send it on twitpic or facebook. You become a viral marketer for your fave author. If you do this, let me know.
3. Ask you local library to stock the title. Libraries want to be sure that they are housing titles that is relevant to their community. If you can't afford to purchase, know that your local public library can.
   
4. Host a school book fair through Barnes & Noble as a PTA fundraiser. If you are a member of the National PTA, you can chair the Media Services division. National PTA loves great fundraising ideas. For free you can build a school book fundraiser through your local Barnes & Noble. Ask that they stock your favorite author as an adult title for parents.
   
5. Become a blog book reviewer. You can review books for free, if you own a book blog, which is also free. Publishing houses and publicists like myself will send you your fave author book in exchange for a review.

Hope this helps. Now do you want to help me out? Email this post to your reading friends, Digg this article, share it on Facebook or Retweet it on Twitter. Then come back here and give me the link. I have a gift for you.

Guestblog: Nora St. Laurent on Chris Coppernoll

Dear Dee;
A while back you had mentioned that you wanted pictures from my book club meetings. I wasn’t sure what address I should send this to you. I had two book club meetings last week. It was great fun. This is one that I have completed for my blog.

CHRIS COPPERNOLL SPEAKS TO BOOK CLUB AT LIFE WAY 3-24-08

Chris called before out meeting started to let us know that he was stuck in traffic on 285 (welcome to Atlanta). He sure looks good after being stuck in the traffic of Atlanta for so long. The first thing we asked him to do was take pictures with us. "Hi, Chris. Lets get together and take a few picturese before you speak to the group." He was glad to do it.We had just finished discussing Chris's book "Providence" before he walked up. So after the group shot I asked his help in picking the winners of the books that I gave away that night. I'm sure that he was glad to be out of the car and out of that Atlanta traffic. Look at that smile.This is the Monday night book club meeting...Chris was a delight to have speak to the group. At times he was so funny; he made us all laugh. He told us of how he got started writing fiction books. The book that we read "Providence" is his fourth published book todate. He has written non-fiction books until this point. We are all glad that he has ventured out into fiction. He has a new book coming out this year "BEAUTIFUL FALL". We can't wait to read it.

Sincerely,

Nora St.Laurent

Book Club Servant Leader

http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com/

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the broken hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. John 8:32 You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you" FREE".

Thanks, Nora. You can read her blog to learn more about that book club meeting.

CF Project: Good Read Bookclub

Before I was a blogger, book reviewer I founded one of the largest interracial bookclubs in Atlanta- The Suwanee Reading Social Club. And believe me...we had fun.

So I'm missing the old gang ad thinking seriously about starting anew. This bookclub would both online and at the local level with a big goal to become national. It's objective would be to focus on fiction and non-fiction books written with a Christian worldview. We Members can choose the books and vote on their picks via online. Authors would share the first three chapters for free. Members would purchase the books on a subscription basis. Local Booksense or a publisher would provide rates for this club. The club would host reader and booksigning events.

This club idea is what I'm thinking about.
I would love feedback, interested parties willing to form an advisory board with me, authors wishing to be featured, and anything else that will bring to fruition. I will host online web conference in August to share what we have come up with. Anyone interested in receiving an invite to that conference, please contact me offline.

Thank you.

Dee